Submitted by Morgan Montes, SCNA Treasurer, and Kelley Dolan, Nora Hawkins, and Tyler Graber, At-Large Members
Thank you to the 81 people who participated in the South Capitol Neighborhood Association (SCNA) Community Engagement Survey. The results help us to understand the range of views across the South Capitol neighborhood, and highlight areas where we might communicate more clearly about our work and issues impacting our neighborhood.
View the results of the full survey
Your input also surfaced several ideas for additional community engagement that the board will consider moving forward on while balancing community interest with the practical realities of our volunteer capacity.
We appreciate your ideas, feedback, and perspectives and will work through them as capacity allows, keeping in mind that the board is made up of volunteers with limited time and resources. We have created a “parking lot” full of your suggestions and ideas. We plan to use this to inform the work we focus on in 2026. We will also share information in future blogs regarding priorities and issues you identified.
We want you to know that neighbors are always welcome at our monthly meetings (held on the second Wednesday of each month, 6:30 pm at Lincoln Elementary School Library) or you can reach out to us at info@southcapitolneighborhood.org.
Below are the major themes we heard.
Neighborhood Priorities
Those who responded reviewed the issues the board focused on this past year, including traffic safety, zoning and middle housing, parking, home-to-business conversions, and community events.
- 70% expressed a positive response
- 14% were neutral
- 16% disagreed
Several respondents noted they would prefer rating each issue individually in any future surveys.
Top Issues Identified by Responders
The most frequent and most divided topic was zoning, middle housing and home-to-business conversions and vacancy code violations. This is an area where the board recognizes a need to better clear up some misunderstandings about how the neighborhood association approaches housing-related issues.
Traffic, speeding and pedestrian safety, especially on Capitol Way, were major concerns. Opinions about the city’s redesign plans were mixed. Some residents also mentioned aircraft noise and interest in expanded bike/pedestrian infrastructure.
Responders cited inconsistent enforcement, limited parking during session, and issues with long-term or commercial vehicles. Opinions on the residential parking permit system ranged from strong support to wanting it eliminated.
Housing affordability was also a topic on people’s minds. Many tied neighborhood issues to Olympia’s broader affordability challenges.
Other issues raised included clearer communication from the board, infrastructure concerns (sidewalks, leaves, drainage), and off-leash dogs.
Ideas for Future Events & Activities
Those who responded shared a wide range of suggestions, including:
- Candidate forums (with most respondents answering “maybe,” dependent on timing and candidate participation)
- Community-building events such as picnics, movie nights, holiday gatherings, or quarterly events
- Educational opportunities like gardening workshops or Q&A sessions with city staff
- Beautification and improvement projects such as storm-drain clearing, neighborhood clean-ups, and a garage sale or free-pile day
Looking Ahead
Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. Your input helps shape our understanding of what matters most in our neighborhood. As we move forward, we’ll continue to reference the ideas collected in our “parking lot” and keep you updated on progress, priorities, and next steps in this blog. We appreciate your engagement and look forward to working together in 2026.
South Capitol Neighborhood Association 